Manually operable vacuum releasing bottle stopper



Jan. 8, 1946. K. E. Lu aka I 3 2 MANUALLY OPERABLE'VACUUM RELEASING BOTTLE STOPPER Filed March 1, I944 fan eater Patented Jan. 8, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAN UALLY OPERABLE VACUUM RELEASING BOTTLE STOPPEB Kenneth E. Luger, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 1, 1944, Serial No. 524,512 8 Claims. (01. s s- 56) This invention relates to a manually operable vacuum releasing bottle stopper. More particularly the invention is concerned with a stopper which is suitably adapted for use with Thermos bottles or other thin neck vessels wherein a pressure may be developed below atmospheric after the stopper has been inserted within the neck of the bottle, whereby it becomes diflicult thereafter to remove the stopper. Under such conditions the danger of damaging the stopper or breaking the neck of the vessel by the use of tools or by merely exerting lateral pressure upon the stopper in an effort to loosen or remove the same will be readily appreciated.

Thus, the difficulty of removing stoppers under such conditions from thin neck vessels particu larly, has been long recognized but to the best of my knowledge all efforts to overcome the same have failed to provide a stopper of usual size and shape and without complicated attachments for manipulation or operation thereof to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of the stopper.

The primary object of the present invention is, therefore, the provision of a stopper of sub- .stantially the usual shape and size which is particularly adapted to Thermos bottles or other vessels which in normal use are subject to pressure therein below atmospheric, and which upon merely gripping the stopper in the normal manner at diametrically opposite points thereon for the release thereof from the bottle and by simultaneously exerting slight pressure toward the axis of the stopper from the gripping points atmospheric pressure may be immediately established within the bottle.

i A further object of the invention is the provision of a stopper preferably formed of a single piece of yieldable material such as rubber,.or other moldable plastic material, and which is provided with a peripheral reinforcing flange at its upper end and an integral air admitting means within the flange, which means is operative upon manual compression of the flange at diametrical points thereon in the normal act of removing the stopper from the bottle.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a stopper of the above noted character which is simple in construction, efflcient in operation and which is capable of manufacture at relative low cost.

For a more complete understanding of the in vention and objects of the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the upper portion of a Thermos bottle partially in elevation and partially in section and further showing the novel stopperin axial section in operative position in the bottle; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stopper showing the flanged top thereof and intermediate vacuum releasing means;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the stopper showing in dot-and-dash lines the outline thereof in a vacuum releasing operation; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the stopper in accordance with a modified embodiment thereof. Referring now in detail-to the drawing, !0 designates the novel stopper in its entirety and which stopper is adapted for use with a Thermos bottle ments to the stopper as are required to loosen it.

tion of same is as follows:

it becomes necessary that some means be provided whereby the stopper may be withdrawn axially in order to preserve the usefulness of the bottle.

With this condition in mind the novel stopper 10 includes a body portion H which is yieldable and preferably molded from gum rubber. The body II is of elongated tapered form as shown particularly in Fig. 2, and at its top is provided with a peripheral flange I2. The body is further provided with an inner bulb portion providing a chamber l3 whose upper wall I4 i semi-spherical and projects above the otherwise plane top of the stopper and within the flange I2.

The wall I4 is provided with a slit l5 extending diametrically of the stopper through the bulb l3 and the interior of the bulb portion I3 is also shown in communication with a bore With the stopper in position in abottle'as illustrated in Fig. 1, the lateral edge of flange I2- sure is exerted in the direction of the arrows.

as illustrated at A-A in Fig. 3, which action results in deformation of the reinforcing flange 12 adjacent portions of the top of body H from the circular outline to a more or less elliptical outline as indicated at 'a. Separation of the walls defining the slit l5 to the position indicated at 17 thus results in air being admitted into the interior ofthe bulb portion [3, bore l6 and the interior of the bottle B with an equalization of pressure on both ends of the stopper Ill.

Having thus released the vacuum or partial vacuum in the bottle B, the stopper I is then withdrawn axially from the neck N while still grasped between the thumb and forefinger. Thus it will be seen that in releasing the vacuum and withdrawing the stopper substantially .no more time :or efiort is required than in withdrawing the stopper only in normal fashion.

There should be no tendency toward moving the stopper bodily in a lateral direction with a consequent danger of breaking the bottle and since the slit I is provided in the semi-spherical wall, same will be normally maintained in a fluid sealing condition, with the further aid of the reinforcing flange l2,

By the provision of the arrows I! the flange .l2 mayreadily be grasped at the proper points and such "arrows may be raised figures in the molding of the stopper for. grip or may be colf bred for clear visibility.

As indicated in Fig. 4 the flange I2 may desirably be provided with finger receiving recesses i8 in lieu of "the arrows ll. These recesses not only readily locate the fingers in proper position but further provide a grip on the flange.

It is to be particularly noted that by the provision of wall 14 extending over the otherwise planesurface of'the upper end of the stopper as well as the flange [2, the wall readily flexes through a squeezin action on the flange-to read-- ily ca'use separation of the'walls of the slit. Furscope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S.

Letters Patent is:

,member from the inner end thereof and comthermore, the semi-spherical form of the wall surrounding the slit causes fluid tight sealing of this slit by pressure of the material itself even when a partial-vacuum does not exist within the bottle.

From the above, it should be clear that the improved stopper is operable by application of lateral squeezing pressure, as above described, to admit atmospheric air pressure to the interior of a cooperating vessel to fill in the void or par- 'tial vacuum created within the Vessel either as a result of cooling of the fluids or as a result of withdrawing action of the stopper itself, and it will further be clear that the stopper may be similarly operated to relieve excessive pressure within the container or vessel resulting from inwhereas, external pressure on such bulb-like por-' .tion has a tendency to contract the same and close the slit.

While I have disclosed certain specific embodiments of my invention only, such are to be con- 'sideredas illustrative, and not restrictive, the

municating with said chamber, said bore being of relatively small diameter and being surrounded by relatively thick walls, a slit through said wall extending diametrically of the body member and opening into said chamber,the slit being normally closed through the inherent resiliency of the body member, and the walls thereof being separable under lateral pressure on said body member adjacent the outer end thereof toward the "axis thereof at diametrically spaced points substantially aligned with said slit. l

2. A vacuum releasing stopper for "non-collap sible liquid containers comprising an elongated resilient body member having aside wall tapering toward the inner bottle engaging e'ndt-her'eof and a laterally extending circumferential flange at the outer end thereof, a relatively small diameter bore extending axially through's'aid body member opening through the inner end thereof and com-'- municati'ng with thechamber of a bulb portion unitary with the opposite endof the body member, the chamber of said bulb portion beinggreatly enlarged with respect to said bore, said bul portion including a relatively thin semi-spherical wall projecting outwardly from the body member-beyond the plane'of said flange, and a normally closed slit extending through 'safid'wall and into said chamberadapted to open upon opposed pressures on said flange at points alined with said slit and in direction toward the axis of the body member. 7

3. The structure according to claim 2.,Wherein said body member is provided with means for visiblyindicating the correct position of said points of pressure application for effecting opensaid flange is provided with finger receiving recesses at said points of pressure application.

5. A pressure-equalizing stopper for non collapsible liquid containers comprising an elongated resilient body member having a side wall tapered toward the inner bottle engaging end thereof, a small diameter bore extending axially of said body member opening through the innerendthereof and communicating with a chamber adjacent the outer end of the body member, said chamber being greatly enlarged with respect to said bore, said chamber being located outwardly of that portion of the body member that is normallyfrec'ei'ved within the neck of a container, the outer 'wall of said chamber being in the nature of a semi spherical bulb located closely adjacent'the outer end of the body andhaving a normally closed slit extending therethrough and the said chamber and adapted to be Opened upon application of lateral squeezing pressure on the upper end of the body member at points aligned withthe slit. 3

6. "Ifhe'structure defined in claim Sin which the said body member is provided with means for visually indicating the correct position of said points of pressure application for effecting opening of the-slit.-

container havin an admission and discharge opening, of a vacuum releasing stopper for said container comprising an elongated resilient body member designed to permit partial but incomplete insertion into the container opening, said resilient 10 body portion being formed with an axial passage opening through the inner end of said body mem her, the outer end portion of said passage providing a bulb chamber having an upper wall of dome-shape, the dome-shaped upper wall of the 15 bulb chamber projecting above the plane of the top of the main body and at least fifty per-cent of the axial length of the bulb chamber being below the plane of the top of said main body, and a transverse slit in the dome-shaped wall of the bulb chamber, the wall thickness of the body member radially outwardly of the bulb portion being so relatively great as to maintain the slit closed. under normal pressure variations within the container but permitting opening of the slit by relatively great squeezing pressure applied through said wall portions opposite the ends of said slit at the time of insertion or removal of the stopper.

KENNETH E. LUGER. 

